Always
by xx-Mione-Fan-xx
Summary: I will always love you, Salazar. I loved you before we created this school, and I’ll still love you when my time to die arrives." ... "Never. I will never be fine, unless you are with me." A Rowena/Salazar oneshot. Set when Salazar leaves Hogwarts. R


**A/N: A new story! Oneshot. It's a new one for me. One I've never written. It's the founders! LOL. I've always pictured Salazar and Rowena as a great couple. Dunno why. So this is a Rowena/Salazar oneshot. :) I hope you like it. I do. And yes I know I'm posting this sad/love story the day before Valentines day. It was unintentional I assure you. I was just like omg I wanna write a Rowena/Salazar story! Ahaa. Anyway, so this is set while they're at Hogwarts teaching. The actual time is about a month after Salazar left the school. I'm sorry if the language isn't appropriate for the time period - I did my best. But I live in 2009 :) Ahaa. Uhm, Salazar may not seem 'in character' with you guys, but personally, I disagree. I like him. Aha. Oh and this will _not _be continued. It is FINISHED. Oneshot. :) Enjoy, and please review! **

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Oh wait, I made up Mary-Ann and Peter so I guess I technically own them. Aha. But the Harry Potter world is J.K. Rowling. The characters are also hers. I'm merely borrowing and experimenting to satisfy my runaway imagination :) So anything you recognize, belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.

**Always**

Rowena Ravenclaw sighed, sitting at her desk in her luscious room by herself. She set her book down, unable to concentrate any longer, for the memories of the last few years passed through her mind.

It had only been a month since Salazar Slytherin left, and she missed him terribly. He had left because he'd had enough of the founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry allowing muggleborns in to learn magic.

Rowena didn't understand what the problem was. He knew very well that there were several hundred muggleborns who were just as brilliant in magic as the many purebloods. But Salazar believed muggleborns were unfit to learn the ways of the wizarding world. He believed them to be unsuitable to be admitted into their school.

Hogwarts had four houses, named after all four founders. Rowena and Salazar were only two of the founders. Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff were the other two. Godric and Salazar rarely ever got along. But this had been their biggest argument ever, and it resulted in Salazar leaving. He even threatened to leave a hidden chamber in Hogwarts that only he himself or his heir would be able to open.

Rowena shivered. Salazar was a very frightening man when he wanted to be. But she still loved him. And always had. She thought he had loved her as well, but then he left. She knew he was mad that she wouldn't take his side against Godric. But how could she, when she believed everyone should have an equal chance of learning, despite their blood?

The remaining three founders had searched the school for this vile chamber he claimed to have left, but they could find nothing. Godric believed Salazar had been bluffing, but Rowena did not think so. She knew her lover well, and knew that if he had been angry enough, he would certainly have done it. And he had definitely been angry enough.

There was a soft knock at her door.

"You may enter," Rowena called. Helga stepped through the door, with a frown upon her lovely face. Helga was dressed in her usual red dress and her chestnut hair was pulled into a bun.

"Good evening, Rowena. Godric sent me to fetch you. Are you well?" Helga asked in concern. The other founders knew of her close relationship with Salazar, and Rowena's female companion knew how terribly she missed her love.

"Aye, I am well, thank you, Helga." Rowena replied politely, gathering her skirts in her hand so that she could stand. "What it is that Godric requires me for?"

"A student in your house has been in a bicker with a Slytherin. Godric is dealing the punishment to the Slytherin, in replace of… But he needs you to scold the Ravenclaw."

Rowena sighed. The Slytherins did not like the fact that their head had left. Not that the founders liked it any better. They had so much more to teach now, in replace of Salazar.

"Very well, I shall come. Who is the Ravenclaw student, may I ask?"

"Mary-Anne Belldover," Helga replied. Rowena frowned. Mary-Anne was a fourth year and was usually well behaved.

"What did the Slytherin do to provoke her?" Rowena asked and Helga sighed sadly.

"I do not think I should tell you, Rowena."

"And why is that, dear Helga?" Rowena asked in surprise.

"It is sure to upset you." Helga said as they approached Godric's office.

"I assure you, I will remain in control," Rowena said frowning.

"Aye, I am sure you will. The Slytherin made many a nasty remark of yours and Salazar's relationship. As the students do not know the full story as to why he left, the Slytherin told Mary-Anne that it was because of you."

"Because of me?" Rowena asked, deeply bothered by that statement.

"He seems to think you were having a secret affair with Godric and when Salazar found out, he was upset and left." Helga said and Rowena chuckled darkly.

"I do wonder how Godric took that," She murmured and Helga smiled.

"Not well, I daresay." She said and the two women entered the office. A black haired fifth year sat in one chair scowling. Blonde haired Mary-Anne sat in the other, looking at the floor.

"Good evening, Mary-Anne. Do you care to explain what has happened that I would see you in Sir Gryffindor's office?" Even though Rowena knew, she wanted the girl's explanation of what happened.

"I am dreadfully sorry, Lady Ravenclaw. I shouldn't have let him bother me. But he made truly crude remarks of yours and Sir Slytherin's relationship and I simply couldn't help my anger." The girl replied and sent a dark look at the Slytherin, who rolled his eyes.

"I see," said Rowena thoughtfully. "Well I am very grateful to you for sticking up for my virtue dear, Mary-Anne. But you best not let the boy get to you again. It would not do well for our house. I am afraid I will have to take points away."

"Yes Lady Ravenclaw, I understand." The girl murmured sheepishly.

Rowena smiled but said in a soft voice, "It'll be twenty points is all. Be careful not to let your anger the best of you next time."

"Thank you, my lady. I won't." Mary-Anne said, flashing a smile.

"Very well, you are dismissed." Rowena said and the girl stood, quickly curtsied and hurried from the room. Rowena turned her glare on the Slytherin. "And what have you to say in defense, Mr. Thompson?"

The boy just scowled.

"Boy, Lady Ravenclaw asked you a question. You will not be disrespectful." Godric snapped angrily.

"I am sorry for insulting you, Lady Ravenclaw." Peter Thompson said sneeringly. Rowena sighed.

"I accept your apology, young man, so long as it does not happen again. And you will do well to stay away from Mary-Anne." She scolded and nodded to Helga and Godric before leaving the room.

Oh, how she wished Salazar had never left. He had not even written her! Of course, he did not say that he would, even though she had requested him too, but she would have thought he should want to talk to her. Didn't he miss her too? Did he not think of her every night as she did? Oh, Salazar, why did you have to go?

_"I have had enough Gryffindor. Either you will stop allowing this madness or mark my words, I shall leave." Salazar snarled angrily, his dark eyes shooting daggers at Godric. _

_"Salazar please, think of what you are demanding. I can not stop allowing muggleborns to learn. It is simply unjust. They have just as much right to learn magic as the other magical students do." Godric pleaded, clearly upset by Salazar's threat to leave. The two men may not get along, but Godric did not want to see him leave. _

_"They do not!" Salazar spat. "They are unclean! Their blood is tainted with the blood of muggles!" _

_"There is nothing wrong with non-magical people!" Helga cried with a gasp. Salazar turned his glare onto her. _

_"No? Nothing at all? Tell me Helga, how many witches and wizards have those muggles killed? How many did you know? How many were your _friends_?" Salazar sneered. Rowena winced with every sentence he said. _

_"But Salazar, you mustn't blame the muggleborns for stuff the muggles did years ago." Rowena said softly. He refused to look at her, and she knew he was terribly angry with her for objecting to what he said. _

_"Mustn't I? Why not? It may have been their very _ancestors_ who committed the deeds! The muggles are filthy beings who destroy what they do not understand. It is time we strike back. And the first step is to not allow their children to learn magic at the school we have created!" Salazar said fiercely and without waiting for an answer he added, "Either you rid the school of such filth, or I will rid myself of the school." _

_"Please, do not do this. We need you here. You know we do." Rowena pleaded, taking a step toward him. Salazar glanced at her, but his dark eyes were cold. _

_"Then throw out the filth," He spat and she cringed, feeling her eyes water. _

_"Salazar, I can not." Godric said firmly. _

_"Farewell then, Gryffindor. And rest assured, someday this school _will _be free of all mudbloods. I will make sure of it." _

_"How will you manage that?" Godric said, a bit tauntingly. Salazar smirked._

_"Beware, dear founders, for a chamber will be hidden in this school. And in that chamber will rest a beast that will destroy all mudbloods. The school will be clean. I assure you. And you can not stop it, for only I or my heir may open the chamber." He said and swept from the room. _

"Salazar!" Rowena cried out softly as she woke abruptly from her slumber. She sat up slowly in her bed, and drew her knees to her chest. "Oh Salazar, how I miss you," She whispered to the darkness. She felt her chest constrict painfully and allowed the sob to wrench free.

The tears streamed down her face, but she did not bother to wipe them away. She remembered she had gone after him when he'd left the room. She'd found him in his office, hastily packing his stuff away.

_"Salazar, please, please do not go. I will not be able to bear it," She murmured as she stood behind him, aware that tears were falling silently down her cheeks. _

_"I must, Rowena. I can not stand this any longer," He muttered without turning, still stuffing stuff into his bag. _

_"Please, for me, stay." She said in a choked whisper. He turned to look at her finally and his face softened, though his eyes remained cold. _

_"I can not, my love. I must go," He said and she held back a sob. He sighed and pulled her into his arms. "I will be unable to stand being away from you too." _

_"T-then don't leave," She said, clenching his tunic tightly. "Please, I need you. I love you." _

_"How can you? How can you love me? You clearly disagree with me. You want to allow this filth into our school." He spat as he stepped away from her, wrenching her hands free of his clothing. _

_"I will always love you, Salazar. I loved you before we created this school, and I'll still love you when my time to die arrives." She whispered, still crying. He frowned but allowed her to step back into his arms as he wrapped them around her waist again._

_"As I will always love you, my darling Rowena. But this is not the place for me anymore." He said into her hair. She pulled back to look at his face. _

_"Very well, Salazar. If – if you must go, then go." She murmured and bit her lip to stop the flow of tears. She loved him. She always would. So therefore, if he had to leave, she would let him go. _

_He tilted her head and kissed her deeply. _

_"You will write to me, won't you?" She asked when he broke the kiss. _

_"I will always be thinking of you," He said, instead of answering her. She frowned but didn't press it. "I love you." _

_"I love you too," She said, kissing him again. _

That had been the last she'd seen of Salazar. And the last she'd heard from him. He never wrote. Not once.

She sighed and wiped her face with the back of her hand. She glanced out her window and saw that it was still early. The sun was only just rising.

Rowena rose and took a long bath, figuring she may as well get up now that she was awake. When she was dressed, it was still early and breakfast would not be served for a while yet, so she decided to take a stroll outdoors.

She left her long black hair down for once and left her chambers.

She fervently wished they had never founded this school. While she loved it to no end, it had been the cause of all of Godric and Salazar's arguments as well as the reason for Salazar's final departure.

She stood by the lake, gazing at the reflection of the trees in the black water and remembered the good times with Salazar. Before he had grown dark and angry. When he had been carefree, gentle and extremely witty.

Oh how she loved him. But she hoped he was happy, wherever he was. She wanted that for him, even if she could not share it with him. She fingered the ring on her right hand. It had been a Christmas gift from him.

"Do you miss me as I miss you, dear Salazar?" She whispered to the wind, feeling tears begin to prick her eyes again.

"You have no idea my beloved."

Rowena gasped at the deep voice and whirled around. "Oh dear Merlin! Salazar!" Without pausing to think, Rowena threw herself at him. He chuckled and his arms wrapped firmly around her as he twirled her.

When he set her back on the ground, she lifted her face from where it was buried on his shoulder and studied him. His dark, nearly black, hair was longer than normal and he had a small beard growing in. His dark eyes were warm as he stared back at her. "But what are you doing here?" She asked. He caressed her face lovingly.

"I missed you, darling. I could not stop thinking of you. Nor did I try." Salazar murmured, kissing her forehead.

"Oh, I missed you too! Will you stay?" She asked, with little hope. He shook his head sadly.

"I'm afraid not, my dear. But I had to see you. I had to know how you were coping." He said.

"Not well, Salazar. Not well at all," Rowena said, unashamedly.

"Nay, you are fine. You will cope. You are a strong woman. You're absolutely brilliant. I know you will be fine." Salazar whispered and Rowena felt tears prick her eyes.

"Never. I will never be fine, unless you are with me." She said fiercely. He smiled.

"You will be, Rowena. You must, for me, get on with your life. Meet a new beau, and have a family. For Hogwarts." He said and Rowena shook her head.

"Oh Salazar, how can I, when all I want is you?"

"Just try, please Rowena. All I ask is that you try." Salazar murmured. Rowena sighed.

"Very well, I shall _try_," She said scowling, Salazar chuckled.

"I must go now. Gryffindor and Helga will awake soon. I do not want them to know I was here. Please do not tell them, my love." Salazar said.

"Will I see you again?" She asked clenching fearfully at his cloak.

"Nay love, you will not. I am leaving the country. But know this, no matter where I am, or how far away I am, I will _always_ love you." Salazar whispered and Rowena tilted her head and kissed him desperately, wishing with all her heart that he would stay.

He pulled away, and then lightly kissed her again. "Farewell, my beloved."

"I love you, forever and always." She said as he began to walk away from her. He blew her a kiss and she felt a tear run down her cheek.

She waited until she could no longer see him and then she turned and walked back into the school, knowing in her heart that she would never see the love of her life again. But somehow, seeing him that one last time had filled her heart. It had given her a sense of closure. Just knowing that he would always love her made her content. She would always love him too, but knew that he was right. She needed to start her life and find a beau to continue her bloodline.

She went to breakfast and took her place beside Helga.

"Good morning, dear Rowena. Did you sleep well?" Godric asked from the other side of Helga.

"Aye, sir Godric, I did." Rowena answered with a smile on her face. No, she would value Salazar's wish and would not tell anyone of his last visit. And she would value his request and _try _to get on with her life.

She never did see Salazar Slytherin again. But she met a nice man one summer and settled down with him. While she loved her new husband, she knew part of her heart would always belong to Salazar.

**A/N: Awe, how sad. Did you like it? Let me know, by.. reviewing! xD **


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